Battery carrier and connecter



A ril 6 1926. 1,579,369

H. KOCH ET AL BATTERY CARRIER AND CONNECTER Filed August 23; 1921 20suitable filler.

Patented Apr. 6, 1923.

res ,PATENT ,OFFIQE.

. v HENRY KOCH AND FRIEDRICH H. N. WOHLERS, OF JAMAICA, NEW YORK, AND-WIL LIAM NAGLEY, F RAHWAY, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNORS T0 DICTOGRAPH PRODUCTSCORPORATION, A CQIRPORATION OF VIRGINIA. Y

) BATTERY CARRIE-RAND coNNEcTER.

Application filed August 23, 1921. Serial No. 494,539.

Jamaica, in the county of Queens, State of New York, Jamaica, county ofQueens, State of New York, and Rah-way, county of Union, State of NewJersey, respectively, have invented certain new. and useful Im-10'provements in Battery Carriers and Connecters, of which thefOllOWiIlg is a full,

clear, and exact description.

When a nuinberfof dry cells have been combined into a portable batteryunit, it

has been customary to wrap the cells with a sheet of flexible materialto form a casing, the terminals of the cells were then connected in adesired order, and the interior of the casing at the terminal end filledwith a This entails considerable manual labor, and if a cell proves tobe defective the entire unit must be discarded. In the transportation ofthese units the casing is oftenfidamaged between the'cells so 2 that theunit must be discarded. It hasbeen proposed to put the cells in aprotec- ,tive and supportingcasing from. which they could be removed orreplaced as desired but ,'the swelling of, the sides of the cells andthe discharge therefrom when worn out or defective prevented removalfofthe cells, with the result that these casings had to be dis cardedwith the worn cells.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved carrier andconnecter for battery cells which is-free of the objections anddifficulties heretofore experienced ano hereinbefore referred to, whichis light in "weight, easily grasped to facilitate handling,

' 4 and attractive in appearance.

A further object is to provide a carrier and connecterQin which thecells are connected in the desired order by the mere act ,"of fillingthe carrier, in which any cell can n 4 be separately removed or replacedwithout removing or discarding the other cells, and which is simple,easily and quickly as sembled, and inexpensive. Other objects andadvantages will be apparent from the following description of anembodiment of stantially along the lines C C of the invention andthenovel features will be particularly pointed out in claims.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is an elevation partly in section of a carrier and connecterconstructed in accordance with our invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan of the same. Fig. 3 is a section of the same fE akensubi 1. Fig. 4 is a section of the same talfen substantially along theline B B of Fig.1.

Fig. 5 is a section of the same taken substantially along the line A Aof Fig. 2, and

Fig. 6 is a-section of the same taken substantially along the line D Dof Fig. 3.

. In the illustrated embodiment, the support or casing l for theindividual batteries or cells 2' comprises a shell of a size and shapeto receive the cells side by side, and having in its opposite faces openwindows 3 which expose to view a portion of the surfaces of thebatteries orcells. The shell is closed by the ends 4 and 5, the end 4being secured to the shell by pins 6, and the end 5 being movable orremovable to permit of the insertion and removal of the cells. The

'- shell is provided with arms 7 which extend inwardly and then upwardlythrough apertures 8 in the movable end 5. A wing button is provided witharcuately extending arms 111 having outwardly facing inclined cam facesthereon which, when the button is rotated, pass into undercut grooves 12in the arms 7 and cam the end 5 against the shell.

against the movable end 5 for a purpose to.

be hereinafter explained. Pins 16 of insulating material project fromthe end 4 inwardly between the cells to space them from one another, andtubular extensions 17 of inof the pan' so as to electrically insulatethis sulating material extend inwardly from the pan from the alignedsleeve 27 and screw. movable end 5, in axial alignment with the Thescrews 29 and 30 serve to secure the apertures 8, to also space thecells from pans and contact elementsand the tubular one another andprotect the arms 7 from terminal contact sleeves in their properpoelectrical contact with the battery cells. The sitions and to providecertain of the eleccylindrical surface of each cell is wrappedrtricalconnections between them. The conin a sheet of suitable coveringmaterial so tact 22 in the pan 20 contacts witlrthe centhat the cellswill present an attractive aptral or positiye electrode of the cell overpearance through the open windows of the which it is placed and iselectrically conshell. I .nected to the pan 20 which contacts with theThe movable end 5 of the casing is proouter or negative electrode of thenext advided upon its inner face with; shallow dejacent cell. Thecontact 22 in the pan 2O pressions each coaxial with a cell andconengages with the central or positive electrode nected with oneanother by grooves 19. 2 of the said next adjacent cell, and by theShallow metallic pans 20 and 20 are .disscrew 30 is electricallyconnected to the posed in the depressions 18 with the bottubularterminal contact sleeve 27 aligned toms of the pans in the bottoms ofthe detherewith. The pan 20 through the screw pressions, the rims ofeach pan being rolled 29 is in electrical contact with the other over asa rather broad flange to form a conterminal contact sleeve 27. Thus itwill be tact ring of a size and shape substantially seen that the cellsare connected in series that of the end of the zinc shells 2 of the withone another and then to the terminal cells. When the casing is closed bythe end sleeves 27 by which they canbe connected 5 the pan flanges arearranged to fit over to or disconnected from an external circuit.

the ends of the shells of the cells and form A small pin 31 projectsfrom the bottom electrical contact therewith. An insulating wall of eachcavity 18 and each pan is prodisc 21 is placed in the bottom of eachpan, vided with a small aperture to receive the and over each of thesediscs is placed a pin so as to be held against rotation therecontactelement 22 of less diameter than by. The casing and ends are preferablythe pans and each having a spring-like ex formed of insulating material,such as hard tension 23 arranged to provide electrical rubber or othersuitable material.

contact with the central electrode 2 of the When it is desired to insertnew batteries corresponding battery cell when the casing or cells, thewing button 9 is rotated to caris closed by the end 5. The contact elerythe cam arms 11 out of engagement with ments 22 may be formedby stampingand the arms 7, whereupon the springs 13 that then bending the extension23 over upon the are carried by the bottom end 4 will shift body part.One of the contact elements 22 the battery cells upwardly and move thesuch as that in pan 20 is rigidly connected end 5 upwardly. The removalof the end by a conducting strip 24 to the bottom of 5 carries with itthe connecters so that the the next adjacent pan 20, the strip beingdisold cells may be one or both removed or reposed in the connectinggroove 19, and the placed with new ones. Because of the open pan 20, towhich it is not connected, having windows 3 in the shell of the casing,any a slot 25 in the rim to permit of the passwelling or discharge fromthe cells, due sage of the strip 24; without making elec'- to theirbecoming worn out or because of trical contact therewith. The end 5 ofthe defects which often soon cause them to leak, casing isv'providedwith apertures 26, conwill not cause them to adhere to the shell centricwith the pans 20 and 2O" in which of the casing and necessitate thediscarding are tubular terminal contact sleeves 27, of both shell andcasing such as was he whose movements inwardly are arrested by quentlynecessary when closed casings were flanges 28 thereon. The pan 20 havingthe used. The windows also render the casing slot 25 therein iselectrically and mechanilighter, more easily grasped for handling callysecured to the aligned sleeve 27 by and possible damage to the shells intransmeans of a screw 29 which passes through portation is largelyavoided. After the old the bottom of the pan into threaded engagecellsare removed from the casing, the new ment with the bore of the sleeve.The disc ones are inserted with the terminal ends 2 of insulatingmaterial in this pan is disposed and 2 towards the open end, whereuponbetween the pan'and screw, and the axially the end 5 may be placed uponthe shell with disposed contact element 22, so as to electhe arms 7passing through the apertures trically insulate this element from the 8,pushed inwardly to shift the cells and aligned sleeve 27. Ascrew 30passes through compress the springs 13, and the button 9 the contactelement, disc, and bottom wall of rotated to cause the arms 11 to moreinto the other pan 20 and is threaded into the the undercut grooves ofthe arms 7 and bore of the tubular sleeve 27, aligned therelock the end5 to the shell. \Vhile the conwith. The insulating disc in this pan isnecters and springs might be interchanged flanged through the aperturein the bottom so as to have the connecters upon the immovable end 4andthe springs upon the movable end, the illustrated arrangement ispreferred. One or all cells may be replaced as desired with a minimum oftime and labor, and the heretofore laborious and exfresh cells islimited to that of the cost of the individual cells. Thespringsyieldingly press the cells against the connecters at all times sothat good electrical contacts are obtained by the mere act of insertionof .the individual cells and the closing of the casing or support.

It will be obvious that various changes in the' details and arrangementsherein described and illustrated may be made by those skilled in the artwithin the principle and scope of the invention.

We claim: I

1. A battery carrier and connecter comprising a casing adapted toreceive a plurality of battery cells side by side and having 4 a movableend to permit. of the removalor insertion ofthe cells, pins projectingfrom the casing slidably through said movableend and having undercutshoulders on their outer ends, Securing means mounted on the movable'endfor movement beneath the undercut shoulders .to clamp the movable end tothe casing, and connecters adapted to be engaged by the battery cellterminals when the cells are enclosed in the casing. whereby the cellsare. electrically connected .in the desired order;

2. A battery carrier and connecter comprising a casing adapted toreceive a plurality of battery cells side by side andhaving a movableend to permit ofthe removal or. insertion of the cells, pins projectingfrom the casing slidably through said mov'-. able end and havingundercut shoulders on their outer ends, securing means mounted on themovable end for movement beneath the I undercut shoulders to clamp themovable end to the casing, and'connecters adapted to be engaged by thebattery cell terminals 'when the .cells are enclosed in the casing,

whereby the cells are electrically connected in the desired order,saidmovable end having inwardly projecting insulating sleeves throughwhich the pins pass for spacing the cells and preventing -.ele'ct ricalcontact of the pins with the cells. I 7

3. A battery carrier and connecter comprising a casingiada pted toreceive a plurality of battery cells side by sideand having a movableend to permit of the removal or insert-ion of the cells, pins projectingfrom the casing slidablythrough said movable end and having undercutshoulders on their outer ends, securing means monuted on the movable endfor movement beneath the undercut shoulders to clamp the movable end tothe casing, connecters adapted to be engaged by the battery cellterminals when the cells are enclosed in the-casing, whereby the cellsare electrically connected in the desired order, and terminal posts onsaid casing and connected to said connecters for enabling the connectionor disconnection of an external circuit to said cells without openingthe casing.

4. A battery carrier and connecter comprising a casing adapted toreceive a plurality of battery cells side by side and having a movableend to permit of the removal or insertion of the cell's, ,pinsprojecting from the casing slidably through said movable end and havingundercut shoulders on their outer ends, a, button mounted for rotarymovement on said movable end and having cam shaped arms adapted uponrotation of the button to move beneath the. undercut shoulders and clampthe movable end firm-' ly against the casing, and connecters within thecasing adapted to be engaged by the battery cell terminals when thecells are. enclosed in the casing, whereby the cells are electricallyconnected in the desired order.

' 5. A battery carrier and connecter comprising a support adanted'toreceive a plurality of batteries side by side, a plurality'ot pan-shapedcontact members arranged on said support and against the flanged rimofwhicl the shell rim of a battery abuts in electrical contact, aninsulating disc in the bottom of each member, a contact member disposedcentrally in each pan-shaped member and against. which the'centralelectrode. of the corresponding battery abuts, terminal contact postsdisposed axially of two panshaped members, a connecterbetween onecontact member for each battery and the contact member abutting theopposite electrode of a next adjacent battery, a screw passing betweenthe bottom of theun'con- 'nec'ted pan-shaped member and one of the HENRYKocH. j a

. ram nucn H. N. WOHLERS. WILLIAM NAGLEY.

